What kind of a world are we leaving our children?
By Joe Rector
Not long ago, most of us were wondering if summer would ever arrive. Temperatures were unseasonably cool, and flowers that normally would be in full bloom had barely broken through the ground. The rain poured and poured. Folks with pools complained that they couldn’t take a dip for fear of hypothermia.
In the time it takes to take a deep breath, summer crept in during the night and has hammered us. Fickle folks frowned and fumed. The excessive temperatures made outside activities unbearable. The same pool owners who griped about water temperatures that were too cold now whined that the pool water wasn’t enjoyable when it was the same temperature as bath water. The rain stopped, and for most local areas, only an occasional shower now wets dried and cracked earth.
In September 2024, a hurricane traveled up the east coast and whammed North Carolina. It also flooded areas as far away as the Smoky Mountains and Newport, Tennessee. More recently, historic rainfall in Texas and other areas of the country has led to flash flooding that caused the deaths of hundreds of individuals, including children. Tornadoes around the country, including in areas that have never experienced them, have caused destruction and taken lives.
Even now, wildfires are ravaging areas around the Grand Canyon. Other places, such as Palisades in California, were destroyed by fires. In all, 2025 has already been an unusual year in weather.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, which is Newton’s Third Law of Motion. This string of weather anomalies leads some of us to wonder if our mistreatment of the environment for our benefit over the years is now leading to payback. Sure, weather conditions are subject to change. The saying around here is, “If you don’t like the weather, just stay around a few minutes, and it will change.”
Scientific data over the years give a clue to what is going on. Societies across the world have dumped carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, along with a long list of other pollutants. We have managed to choke ourselves with filthy air and bury ourselves with plastics and other garbage. The water on which all life depends is polluted and poisoned so much so that in many places, it is undrinkable.
The good lord gave us a planet and made us stewards of it. If we had given the same kind of treatment to money as we’ve given to the planet, the courts would be asking us to appear and explain our actions. We would have no defense.
Most of us who are senior citizens will not experience the trials and tribulations that will befall younger generations. They will curse our failure to pass on a healthy planet. Their lives will be filled with more strange weather conditions that will grow in intensity. Life will be more difficult as the climate continues to change.
All that can give the slightest bit of relief is our serious and determined attention to protecting an already damaged climate. That will take the entire world’s dedication to the work and prayers that it’s not too late.
